Monday, October 01, 2007

"Mr Bush told Mr Aznar he was playing a “good cop, bad cop” routine with Tony Blair, the then British prime minister. “I don’t mind being the bad cop if Blair is the good cop,” he said.

"He predicted that the war would be won “without destruction” and said planning was under way for “post-Saddam Iraq”.

"“I think there is a good basis for a better future,” he said. “Iraq has a good bureaucracy and a relatively robust civil society.”

"Outlining contacts between Saddam and Egypt, Mr Bush said: “He’s indicated he would be prepared to go into exile if he’s allowed to take $1bn and all the information he wants about weapons of mass destruction.” Mr Bush ruled out such a deal, describing Saddam as “a thief, a terrorist, a war criminal”."